Earth Day 2018

What do you think of when someone says the word, “home.”

Does it conjure up your favorite reading nook in your current abode, or perhaps the town you grew up in? For me home is, and has always been, this magnificent planet we call Earth.  

I can’t say how this perspective developed, but from very early on, when others were supporting their favorite sports teams, or feeling the pride of their country, I felt a sense of love and responsibility towards the magnificent life-force that is our planet and all the inhabitants on it.

The more I learn about this ball of life I live on, the more extraordinary it seems. Did you know it takes a molecule of air about two weeks to traverse its way around the globe.  I’m reminded of a Buddhist meditation where you inhale all the problems of the world, then exhale love, compassion, and healing. With awareness and devotion the mere act of breathing can be a prayer. Consider for a moment your own breath as you call it in your body and release it back in to the world.  Where has it been, who has it touched, where will it go next.

Perhaps it is the intimacy I FEEL with all of the systems of this planet that encourage me to live in harmony with it. But the truth is, this is hard in the modern world, and as technology and globalization spread, it no longer feels sufficient to merely be grateful for what she (Earth) provides.  

I respect the clothing brand Patagonia.  Many years ago they had a campaign that said “don’t buy this shirt.”  It arguably launched them in to the successful brand that they are today.  The founders were nature lovers, climbers and devoted to conservation and the hard truth is that while clothes are a necessary part of life, the fashion industry is very hard on the environment.  

This week we celebrate Earth Day….and much like next month’s major holiday, Mother’s Day...I sincerely hope that the sentiment of caring for that which gives us life is more than a single day’s event.  I encourage you to take a moment and consider how you can make choices that are harmonious with the long term health of our planet.

I’ve made a commitment to myself and my customers to provide products that are in alignment with the principal of sustainability.  I do my best to make unique styles that can be enjoyed both stylistically and functionally for a long time. (5+ years in contrast to the fast fashion of today)

The OM Collection uses organic fibers in many of its designs; knowing that the items that are closest to your skin, such as yoga bras, should be free of pesticides and other toxic chemicals to keep you and the planet healthy.  We also use recycled fabrics in our H2OM and our new Lush Collection; by taking a lesson from mother Earth and closing the resource loop, waste products such as plastic bottles become beautiful cherished print yoga leggings.

I hope that you choose to buy only the garments that will bring you joy and serve you well for a very long time and that when you wear our garments that you feel the love woven in to the fabric. I hope our super soft fabrics and hand stitched details remind you of the way all living things are woven together through the air we breath and the water we drink and you consider how you too can be a steward and protector of this place we all call home.

Love, Katie

P.S.  Take some time in nature this spring.  Notice the life blossoming all around you.  Notice the mind quieting as your body gently syncopates with the Earth’s natural rhythm. This is her gift to you, now and always...for you are home.